1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for identifying the position of the focus of a shock wave source, the shock wave source generating focused acoustic shock waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus for identifying the position of the Focus of a shock wave source is disclosed German PS 40 03 350 for a therapy unit for treating patients with extracorporeally generated, focused shock waves, and serves the purpose of adjusting an x-ray apparatus relative to the therapy unit in order, for example, to be able to prepare diagnostic x-ray exposures of the treatment area of the patient during the treatment of a patient with focused shock waves. The apparatus has a conically fashioned carrier with a metal ball at the tip thereof that, when the carrier is put in place on the shock wave source, indicates the position of the therapy focus.
This known apparatus, however, has proven disadvantageous because the carrier that must be put in place on the shock wave source given every adjustment, or every check of the position of the focus of the shock wave source, is complicated to handle. There is thus the risk that the carrier, which cannot remain on the shock wave source during a treatment of a patient with the therapy unit, will be mislaid and may no longer be available when needed.
European Application 0 606 548 discloses an extracorporeal therapy apparatus having an electro-acoustic transducer for generating shock waves. A sound scanner is provided with a graticule that can be introduced into the focus of the transducer by a pivotable clip is arranged within the housing of the transducer. The clip with the graticule, however, is not arranged directly at the housing of the transducer nor is the clip so simple to handle so that it can be pivoted out of the path of the shock waves by an immediate and direct access by an operator. On the contrary, technical auxiliaries are required for this purpose.